Author's Note: This is a reworked chapter! There will be continuity errors between this and the rest of the story (the largest being that Gaby no longer has a Charizard :O I just couldn't see how she could get a hold of one), so just understand that if you continue to read.

- M "R.T." C

The Aqua threw out two Pokéballs. Out of them erupted a Sneasel and a Magcargo.

"Are you gonna fight, or what?" he asked, sneering down at her. "Or are you really just a prissy little wimp?"

The girl said nothing, and instead simply stood, wreathed in the shadows of the surrounding trees, standing at the ready, two Balls in hand. The Skarmory pawed at the ground with its feet restlessly beside her. Slipping the two minimized Balls into one hand, she stroked its beak, never breaking eye contact with the Rocket.

"Don't underestimate her," said the woman clad in the Rocket uniform. She looked back into those eerie red-brown eyes uneasily. "She probably has a way with Pokémon that we can't begin to understand."

Funny, she thought. Her eyes narrowed. The Rocket stepped back, just a little.

She's afraid of me. She knows what I've done, and what I can do. At least a little.

"She can't be that good."

The girl smiled widely. She almost felt like laughing.

"Big talk…" she said quietly. Her hand fell from the Skarmory's snout as she stepped forward to face the battlefield.

"But stupid!"

As she said the word, her hand flew out towards the Magma to the Aqua's left. The air around it rippled, like the summer surrounded it, distorted and shimmering. Then the Magma flew backwards into a tree, crying in pain from the impact. Dried nettles rained onto his head as he floated there, pinned, his hands and feet rolling in their sockets as he tried to free himself from the invisible Psychic force holding him.

"Like my powers? Oh, you can't escape until I let you go. Stop trying," she said mockingly. The Magma nevertheless continued to struggle against his unseen bonds. "I fact, I don't have to battle at all. But I don't get to battle people ever, so you'll do!" She stared venomously at the Aqua, who looked in terror to the Rocket to help. She had backed up several more paces, and was staring at the Magma with a fixed look of fear.

"Shall we start?" she asked, enlarging the two orbs in her hand.

The Aqua looked terrified, but nodded. Duty to his Team came before his fear, and he set his stance as she threw the Balls into the air and cried,

"GO! TROUBLE AND AVIRA!"

Out of the Pokéballs materialized a Pidgeot and a Ninetales. The two cried out upon entering the battlefield, and sized up their opponents.

The Aqua stepped back in fear. His mind froze; this trainer was supposed to be weak, having been too young to have started as a Trainer before her original capture. How, in three short years, could an amateur (at best) have two fully evolved Pokémon?

"Sneasel…" he stammered, pointing shakily at the Pidgeot, who he considered the weaker target. "Slash attack!"

The Sneasel lunged towards the majestic bird, claws extended, aiming to do serious damage to the right wing. With a sweep of her hand, the Pidgeot's trainer signalled for it to dodge. It did so in a flash, driving down into the forest floor and beating its wings hard. It swooped back and settled behind her, as she beckoned the Skarmory to take its place.

"Wha-WHAT?" The Aqua stammered. "How…What the…?"

"Avira, Flamethrower that Sneasel!" she cried. The Ninetales howled and shot out a thin but hot stream of flames at the Ice-Dark type, wounding it badly.

The Aqua gaped at the amount of damage done to his precious Sneasel. He managed to recover, and tried to cry his next commands, but the girl cut him off.

"Slicksilver! Steel wing that Magcargo, now!"

The Skarmory obeyed, and seemed to have, though it may have been a trick of the light, a glint in its eye, as though enjoying hurting its master's enemy.

The attack hit the Magcargo full force, and not only that, but in a weak spot, too. Unlike his lucky partner, who had hung on by the skin of its teeth, the Magcargo did not get up again.

'Yeah! One hit KO!" the trainer cheered. "Am I a baby now?" She taunted. Wrapped in the shadows as she was, they couldn't see her hands triumphantly on her hips, nor the grin on her face.

The Aqua was paralyzed with the shock of having his Magcargo taken down with only one shot. His Sneasel wouldn't last this turn. He was done for.

"Sneasel! Faint attack that Skarmory!" the Aqua said. At least this HAD to hit.

The Sneasel disappeared, then reappeared behind the Skarmory. It attacked, then disappeared and reappeared again in its spot. The Skarmory, however, did not take much damage. It shook off the weak attack, ruffling its red and grey wings, then stood straight, staring down the terrified looking Sneasel.

"Avira, finish it off! Give it another taste of fire!"

The Ninetales stood elegantly, turning her head and firing at the Sneasel again. It attempted to run, but was caught, and collapsed, smoking.

"My…My Pokémon!" the Aqua exclaimed, quickly returning his remaining Pokémon. "My Pokémon! And they didn't even scratch you! My best Pokémon…" The girl smirked at him in satisfaction.

"Well then, if there are no further objections, I'll take my leave." The girl paused. "No...I think you'd better start running, don't you think?"

The Magma pinned to the tree fell hard. There was a snap, and a cry of pain. His ankle had broken from the fall. The Aqua fled with no regard for his fallen comrade, disappearing into the trees. The Rocket girl, however, sent out a Rapidash, and helped her fallen teammate onto him. He groaned with the pain, and the girl watched with a sick pleasure. The Rocket took one look back at the shadowy form, then mounted the Rapidash herself, digging her heels into its sides, and took off through the trees.

She watched them until no trace of the fiery tail could be seen through the trees. She grinned and turned back to her Ninetales as it snuggled its head into her hand. She pet her a few times, then returned her to her Ball.

"Well then, Slick" the trainer said, turning to her Skarmory. "Weren't we going for a ride before we were interrupted?"

The Skarmory nodded. There was no damage done to it.

"Shall we contin-"

She was cut short by a swishing sound, and the sound of snapping twigs. Every muscle in her body tensed. Her hand flew to her waist, ready to send out Avira again if she had to. Were they really so stupid that they'd come back, trying to catch her off-guard?

"You battle like a pro! You're definitely! the best I've ever seen. I don't stand a chance against you! What's your name? Please tell me your name!"

A boy stumbled out of the trees in front of her, his pantleg caught on a low bush. He tugged at it as the waterfall of words tumbled from his mouth. He nearly fell over when he was freed, but stayed righted. He stared into the shadowy figure in the trees, who stared back. He waited, bright eyed, for an answer, which eventually came after a long, confused silence:

"Who the hell ARE you?"